facebookpixel
Select Page

Australian Immigration Law Update: Temporary Changes To Visa Work Conditions For Students & Working Holiday Makers

by | Jan 23, 2022 | Migration

To assist with Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, the Australian Government is providing an incentive for Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders to return to Australia as soon as possible to help address current workforce shortages.

Any Student visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia between 19 January and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their Visa Application Charge (VAC).

Any Working Holiday Maker visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia between 19 January and 19 April 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their visa application charge. The current VAC for a Student visa is AUD630 and for a Working Holiday Maker it is AUD495. The VAC refund includes secondary visa holders. Information on how to apply for a refund is expected to be available on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website shortly.

Due to current workforce shortages the Government is temporarily removing the limit on working hours for Student visa holders across all sectors. This will also apply to secondary Student visa holders. This will be reviewed in April 2022.

The Government is also temporarily relaxing the 6 month work limitation for Working Holiday Maker visa holders. Effective immediately, until the end of 2022, there will be no limit on the time Working Holiday Makers can work for the same employer.

These measures are temporary and designed to provide immediate assistance to Australian businesses currently facing critical workforce shortages.

Should you have any questions about these arrangements, please don’t hesitate to contact our local immigration lawyers.

Nevett Ford Lawyers – Immigration Lawyer Melbourne & Australian Citizenship Lawyer
Telephone: +61 3 9614 7111
Email: melbourne@nevettford.com.au
Visit our website: www.nevettford.com.au